International Relations invites media to apply for accreditation for Meeting of the IORA Council of Ministers

South Africa is scheduled to host the 18th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers Meetings from 31 October-02 November 2018 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Council of Ministers will take place under the theme: IORA � Uniting the Peoples of Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East through Enhanced Co-operation for Peace, Stability and Sustainable Development.

IORA was established through the vision of former South African President Nelson Mandela, when 14 member states founded the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) in March 1997. The Association is an economic cooperative community of littoral and island states whose shores are washed by the Indian Ocean.

The Association has experienced growth in membership and organisational stature over recent years. The current membership consists of 21 member states: Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen. IORA is also supported by seven Dialogue Partners: the United States, Japan, France, the United Kingdom (UK), Egypt, China and Germany. IORA has observer status at the United Nations General Assembly, UNCTAD and the African Union.